"Losing your Grip" step-by-step solution by pjg
with suggested improvements by D.J. Picton
This is not the "official" solution
Please register this game to get the official game package.
Feel free to write and upload a better solution if you want to.
Otherwise, corrective modifications to this
solution are welcomed and encouraged.
For game version 3 (Feb 15, 1998)
Other game releases may be slightly different.
(Version 1 gives different points in the Hospital fit)
This game is a series of dreamlike states
involving "memories" of events concerning your father.
There are 2 different 2nd Fits
as well as 2 different 4th Fits.
If you get stuck then consult the relevant
section of the solution for help.
You will earn 20 points in each of the 5 fits.
Comments and points are in ()
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Fit 1 (The building in the snow)
--------------------------------
Register
NE
(is this man your conscience?)
X man
Ask man about me
Pull man
Dig man
(kick man)
(oh well...)
NE. N
NW. X clock. SE
(you must note the times on all of the stopped clocks)
(a pyramid may fall)
Get pyramid
(the objects that fall from the sky are "intrusions"
of the real world into your dream world)
N. E. X clock
N. W. W. D
X clock
(Frankie will, eventually, ask you to help him)
Ask Frankie about Frankie
Ask him about avalanche
Ask him about project
Ask him about pile
(after Fit 5 you may be able to figure
out who buried the spheres...)
Get pile
(try again)
Get pile
(a puppy will appear)
Puppy, follow me
(the puppy moves randomly)
Name puppy "Max"
(name the puppy anything that you want)
X puppy then pet it
Ask Frankie about rucksack
Get it.
Put rucksack on dog
X Frankie
(read notebook)
Ask him about sunglasses
Ask him for it
(Frankie will give you a task to do)
U. E. NW
X clock
S. W
X clock
X sentinel
X sentinel's arms
Move sentinel's hands
Raise it
Put sphere in it
Look in drawer
Get list, sphere
E. N. E
E. S. E
X clock
Raise sentinel's hands
Put sphere in it
Get single, sphere
W. N. SW
W. D
Give list, book to him
Wear sunglasses
save "f10"
X tables
Look under it
X junction
Ask him about it
Turn it on
Ask him about power
Ask him about breakers
U. E. N
X clock
E. X clock
Get coat, gloves
Wear gloves
W. S. NW. W
X coat. X stitching
Pull it
Again
X insulation
(you need three tufts of insulation)
Get mass then put tuft of insulation in coat. (2/2)
Get mass then put tuft of insulation in coat.
Get mass then put tuft of insulation in coat.
Wear coat
E. SE. S. S
save "f12"
S. (5/7)
NW. N
X line
X fence
Untie rope then get it
E. E. S
(a cube may fall)
Get cube
(the cube contains a hint about
the upcoming interlude)
X building
Open box
Read list
(you have seen all 8 clocks.
remember what Frankie said about reapplying power?)
Flip 2, 8, 6, 7
Flip 4, 3, 5, 1 (5/12)
SW. N. N
N. W. D
Turn on junction (1/13)
(some sludge will eventually come out of the drain)
save "f113"
X east wheel
Turn it clockwise. g
Turn south wheel counterclockwise. g. g.
(turn the wheels as far as you can
to make the SE corner of the room low)
(the sludge should be collecting in the SE corner)
Ask him about sludge.
X heater
(you must be wearing the gloves)
Push heater east (7/20)
(the heater will consume the sludge)
Get dark sphere
(the dog needs to be in the room)
Put dark sphere, rope in rucksack
U. E. S. S
save "f120"
S
(notice what the dog does with the rucksack.
I think of the grey man as "guilt")
NE
(the avalanche will begin)
(a sphere will appear)
Get sphere
(ouch!)
N
X post.
(remember what Frankie said about the junction box?)
Get lower.
Get upper.
(you are finished with Fit #1,
you should have 20 points)
Interlude #1
------------
(back to reality)
(remember what the cube by the breaker box said?)
Get up
X monitors
Turn it off
Remove leads
Get IV
N
(you must hide and get back on the drug)
W. Open door. S
Push chair north
(one more time)
Push chair north
Stand on chair
Pull cord
Get down
Push chair south
(one more time)
Push chair south
N
Close door
N
save "f220"
(To play the Hospital
version of Fit 2, do the following...)
Open door
E
Close door then lock it
X supplies
X crates
Enter cubby
Put needle in arm
(go to Fit 2 Hospital version)
------------------------------
(To play the College
version of Fit 2, do the following...)
U
Close ladder
Put needle in arm
Fit 2 College Version
---------------------
save "c20"
(you need to find Buddy)
NE. SE
(Buddy will eventually appear,
when he does say...)
Ask Buddy about shelf
X Erin
(Erin wants a book)
NW
(Buddy will cause an accident
that the janitor will come and clean up.
The janitor usually comes from the NE)
NE
(at the janitor's cart)
X cart
Get keys (5/25)
NW. SW
(you should meet your dog)
(Dog, follow me)
Get rope from rucksack
NW
(you will meet the grey man)
X man
NE
Get box
SW. SE
Unlock door with keys
NE
Get square, cylinder
SW
save "c25"
(you may have noticed the leaky pipe...)
X pipe
X box
Put box under pipe
X cylinder
Put cylinder under pipe
X needle
(you must examine the needle
until it wiggles, then...)
Push button (5/30)
(you will capture a water droplet)
Get globe
SW. SW
Unlock SE door
SE
X grate
X padlock
Put globe inside padlock
Put square on padlock
X square
Z. Z
(you must wait until the water drips
from the padlock)
Flip switch
(you must wait again)
Z. Z. Z (5/35)
(the ice will break the padlock)
save "c35"
Open grate
(a pyramid may appear, you can ignore it or...)
Get pyramid
(they found you in the attic)
Push box into shaft
D. D. D
X plate
X protrusion
Tie rope to it
X opening
Put rope on pulley
Pull rope (5/40)
Open grate
Push box west
E. W. W
(you will find the book box)
Push box NE
(Erin will take a book)
save "c40"
Z.
(Buddy will run off to investigate the shaft)
Z
(you should go and rescue Buddy)
Get bottle
SW
Put lotion on Buddy
Push Buddy
(go to Interlude 2)
Fit 2, Hospital version
-----------------------
save "h20"
(game version 1 awarded 5 fewer points)
X woman
W. N
(the grey man will appear)
Wait
Open small door
(it's locked, the nurse is inside)
S
(this OR is a dream within a dream,
you may want to stay and watch)
S. E
X doors then get key
Unlock doors with key
Drop key
N. E. E. S
Get cane
N. N
(notice that the room occupant is gone)
S. W. S
Get rope, sunglasses
Tie rope to dog
Wear sunglasses
(you now look like a blind person)
N
save "h22"
Z. Z. Z. Z
(wait for your nurse friend Eileen
to appear from the small door room)
X nurse
Z. Z. Z. Z
Z. Z. Z. Z
(Eileen will eventually ask you to hold a bag)
Get bag
(wait for Eileen to return)
Z. Z. Z.
(Eileen will give you a hall pass
and ask you to get her BP cuff)
Z (5/25)
Ask Eileen about old woman
(you get a clue about what to do with the old woman)
W. S. W. N
Get vial
(oops)
Dog, get vial (7/32)
Get vial
(a pyramid may appear)
Untie rope
Drop rope, cane, sunglasses
X vial. Read label
(a drug that makes you insensitive to pain)
N. N
Get cuff
S. E
Push wheelchair West
Push it SW
Push it SE
Push it East
Push it East
(the doors must be unlocked)
Show pass to attendant
(you can now push the old woman past her)
Push wheelchair North
Give cuff to Eileen (1/33)
Push wheelchair East
Push it North
save "h33"
(the old woman will need help)
say "help"
(a Doctor will appear)
perform cpr
Z. Z
X cart, ecg, syringe, defibrillator
(you need the syringe)
Turn dial to 200
Turn dial to 260
Turn dial to 360
Get syringe (7/40)
(you will be escorted out)
Z
(the old woman has been saved)
save "h40"
E. S
Put syringe in vial
Put needle in hand
Get globe
Z. Z. Z. Z
Interlude 2
-----------
(back in reality)
Put needle in hand
Fit 3 The Fairies, Forest, and Dragon
-------------------------------------
save "f340"
Get up
Read mythology
(the rivers are a clue to Fit 4)
Read faeries
(the clover is an important clue)
Open window
X bed
Get sheet
Tie sheet to bed
W
X grass
Search clover
N
(you will see and hear 3 faeries)
Z. Z. Z
(the faeries will move into the shed)
E
(the box is used in one of the fourth Fits)
Get box, flyer
(the faeries will fly away)
Get hat then wear it
Say "I'm after" (5/45)
(you will fly to the faery cave)
N
Z. Z. Z. Z
Z. Z. Z
(the faeries will send
you on a quest)
U
(you will meet your dog)
Put all but jar in rucksack
W. SE. E
S. S
Get stone
N. E
X toadstool
X single toadstool
Knock on door
(the pixie will tell you things)
save "f345"
Ask pixie about jar
Wear boots
Ask him about stone
Ask him about laurel
N
X boy
Get knife
(mean kid)
Dog, attack boy (5/50)
Get knife
(the trees will talk)
Ask oak for staff
Ask ash for laurel
(you need the blood of another)
Get staff, laurel
S. W. W.
W. W
(you will meet your father)
Give knife to father
Get knife
Put laurel in blood
(a pyramid may appear)
Get pyramid
Wear laurel
E.
Dog, follow me
E. E. E
N. N
Rub stone.
Again. Again
(you will sneeze)
save "f350"
E
(if you did everything right,
the dragon won't notice you)
(you must be holding the jar)
Kick dragon (5/55)
(kiss dragon)
W
(another cube)
S. W. W
N. D. N
(uh oh!)
S. U
(the grey man will grab you)
X man
(notice his eyes)
Z
(he wants to throw you over the cliff)
Z
(wait until his grip has loosened)
Break jar (5/60)
(or you can use the knife as
attack man with knife)
(you are dangling over the edge of the cliff)
save "f360"
X cage
(you can choose to save yourself...)
U
(or save the faeries...)
Open cage
(or do nothing...)
Z. Z. Z. Z
Chess Interlude
---------------
Z
Interlude, Again
----------------
Z. Z. Z. Z
Get rucksack then wear it
save "f460"
(the fourth Fit is the hardest and the most peculiar)
(you will be asked some questions.
you can choose to answer in Jefrey's favor
or in Marie's favor.)
(some of the typical answer are...)
Say
Look
Get
Listen to
(if you answered in the Marie's favor
then you will find yourself in the...)
Fit 4 Clock Room version
------------------------
save "w60"
N
(what are the three monkeys doing?)
Give dark to monkeys (5/65)
E.
X balance
Get doll
save "w65"
The Dolls
---------
X doll
Open doll then I
(do it again)
Open doll then I
Get copy then x it
(note the phase "stare down")
Drop all, copy then stare down
Open doll then I
Get copy then drop it
Drop all then stare down
Open doll then I
Get copy then drop it
Drop all then stare down
Open doll then I
Get copy then drop it
Drop all then stare down
I
(no more dolls)
Stare up
Get copy, lower, lid
Close doll then throw it in large doll
Stare up
Get copy, lower, lid
Close doll then throw it in large doll
Stare up
Get copy, lower, lid
Close doll then throw it in large doll
Stare up
Get copy, lower, lid
Close doll
Drop doll (5/70)
S
X sink
Turn left handle on
Drink water
(Mythology book clue)
Turn left handle off
N. W. S
save "w70"
X woman
Touch woman
N. E
(the woman is trying to make the
chains resume their normal operation.
She needs your help to do it)
Z. Z. Z. Z
(the woman will leave and pull you with her)
N. N. N
Get strand
Again.
(keep getting strands until you have the
"Resume" and "Chain" strands)
S. S. S. E
(the woman should follow you)
(we will force the game to ask us about the strands...)
Give strand to woman
Resume
Give strand to woman
Chain (5/75)
save "w75"
Z. Z
S
(the woman will enter the break room and relax.
You will be "forced" to sit on the sofa)
Sit on sofa
Z. Z
(the woman will take a brief break and then leave)
Get up
N
(hmmm, you can't leave using the northern door)
X sink
Get spoons
Wait
(the spoons will twitch)
Drop spoons
(the spoons should form a line pointing west)
X spoons
W (5/80)
N
Read note
Get flask
E. S
(left is forget,
right is remember)
Turn right handle on
Fill flask with water
Turn right handle off
N. W. N
save "w80"
Drink flask
(go to Fit 5)
(if you answered in the Jefrey's favor
then you will find yourself in the...)
Fit 4 Dome Room version
-----------------------
save "d60"
(Orange crystal)
E
Enter door
X shelf
(each layer of the box has 5 cubicles in it.
the top and botton layer cubicles are arranged in a + shape.
the middle layer cubicles are arranged in an X shape)
Get orange
Put it on bottom middle
Exit
X panel then read plaque
(you must perform some spacial movements
on the orange piece to get it)
Push left button
(you want the first operation to be TR, a West, North, Up movement)
Push middle button
(you want the second operation to be ROT, a clockwise rotation)
Push right button
(you want the final operation to be INV, an inside-outside)
Pull lever
(Enter door. Exit)
Pull lever
(Enter door. Exit)
Pull lever (4/64)
Get orange
W
Put orange on red crystal
save "d64"
(Yellow crystal)
N. W
Get belt then wear it
(do you remember the ghost scene from "Perdition's Flames"?)
X belt
(Red is EW, Green is NS, Blue is UD, Grey is +- time)
Read flyer
Get box. N
Put box on cube. X needle
(remember this West number)
Get box. E
Put box on cube. X needle
(remember this Bottom number)
Get box. S
Put box on cube. X needle
(remember this South number)
W
Flip switch
(turn the grey dial to anything but 612)
Turn grey dial to 111
(you may have to round your numbers here)
Turn red dial to <200+West/10>
Turn blue dial to <200+Bottom/10>
Turn green dial to <200+South/10>
Turn grey dial to 612
(you are inside the cavity in the cube)
Get yellow (4/68)
Turn grey dial to 999
Turn red dial to 700
Turn blue dial to 1
Turn green dial to 1
Turn grey dial to 612
Flip switch
Remove belt then drop it
S
Put yellow on orange
save "d68"
(Green Crystal)
W
Feel rectangle
X patch
(you must push the raised patches
in the floor in the order:
Rough, Fairly Rough, Barely Rough,
Barely Smooth, Fairly Smooth, Smooth)
NW. Push patch
S. S. Push patch
NE. Push patch
N. Push patch
S. S. Push patch
NW. Push patch (4/72)
Get green
E. E
Put green on yellow
save "d72"
(Blue crystal)
S
(you inside a sphere, on the bottom.
In the middle of the sphere is a large cube.
On the ceiling of the cube is a crate with the
blue crystal)
N. U. D
Push crate south
(notice how the crate spun,
you must give the crate the correct orientation)
U. S. N
Push crate east
S. NE. W
Push crate north
E. NW. S
Push crate down
N. D. U
X crate
Push button (4/76)
Get blue
D. NE
Put blue on green
save "d76"
(Violet crystal)
D
(notice the ripples)
X box
Push button
(you can move west or east to experiment)
Look
Jump
Push button
Look
W
Get violet (4/80)
E. U
save "d80"
Put violet on blue
(you will be sent to the fifth fit)
Fit 5 Fight your Father
-----------------------
save "f580"
Pet dog
Wait
(you Father will appear...)
Wait
(... and kill your dog)
Wait
(listen to the advice of the voice in your head)
(notice the hand that your Father looks at)
Relax hands
(this will defeat your father)
(or you can...)
Clench left hand
(this will kill your father)
Hospital Room (Father)
----------------------
save "f680"
X father
Again. G. G.
Kiss father (20/100)
(or you can...)
X father (20/100)
(or you can...)
X string (20/100)
Epilog: Hospital Room, on the bed
-------------------------
save "alldone"
(back to reality at last)
Xyzzy
I
Listen to muzak
X fool
----------------------------------------------------
Some questions to ponder...
- Who was the man in the mud?
- Who was Frankie?
- What were the spheres?
- Who buried the spheres?
- What was the sludge?
- Who was Sam?
- Who was the grey man?
- Who was the man with the white hair?
- Who was the man in the hospital room?
- Who are Jefrey and Marie?
- How accurate were the memories of your Father?
----------------------------------------------------
For fun have you...
- played with the radio?
- put the black sphere in the hands?
- kissed Erin?
- found out who Mr. Jeffers is?
- stayed in the operating room?
- kissed the Dragon?
- found out who Bob and Phil are?
- kissed Marie?
- seen the flipping bird?